Hi, thanks for visiting my page.

I am raising money for Sentebale by cycling from Geneva to Monte Carlo.  From 5th - 9th September, I will be joining a group of brave (foolish?) souls to cycle across the Alps, covering some of the (in)famous stages of the Tour de France.  My primary charitable cause is children.  As I have had ties to the fine jewellery and diamond industries for most of my adult life, I want to help children in an African diamond producing country.

Sentebale help orphans and vulnerable children in Lesotho.  Lesotho’s annual diamond output is only 2% of global production, but their diamonds are of the highest quality anywhere.  However, the tiny, landlocked kingdom that gives us the most beautiful diamonds is afflicted by the third highest HIV/AIDS infection rate in the world, with nearly 1/3 of the population infected.  It is also one of the poorest countries where life expectancy has dropped to 34 years.  As you can easily imagine, the negative impact on children is enormous, and Sentebale has a lot of work cut out for them.  They need your support.

The G2MC Cycling Challenge covers a distance of over 500 km (310 miles) over 4 ½ days, that is, an average of 110 km per day, which is not all that much purely in terms of distance.  However, the cumulative ascent will exceed 11,000 m (36,000 feet), guaranteeing a very high my-pain-for-your-sterling ratio, making it an excellent value for money, in addition to supporting a very worthy cause.

For you cycling geeks, we are covering some of the most famous climbs in the Tour de France, including Col du Télégraphe, Col du Galibier, Col d’Izoard and Col de la Bonette, encompassing 2 climbs that are ‘hors catégorie’ (beyond classification) and the highest paved pass in Europe.  Even the last half day, into Monte Carlo, has some world class climbs although I was initially led to believe that it was going to be all downhill on Day 5…  I have a suspicion that it may be an expletive filled five days.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

This fundraising ride is being made possible in substantial part through the generosity of Gem Diamonds and Letseng Diamonds.  The remainder of the cost is being borne by me.

So please dig deep and donate now.

If you encounter problems completing your transaction on this web site, then please let me know.  Thanks again.